In a year marked by unprecedented production cost cuts across the television industry—a painful reality acknowledged by showrunners like Andrea Newman who cited a “budget axe falling across the network”—the question of who stays and who goes has become chillingly simple: Who costs the most?
And at the heart of the One Chicago universe, few actors command a higher price tag than the legendary S. Epatha Merkerson, who plays the indispensable Director of Patient Services, Sharon Goodwin.
Rumors are now swirling that despite her status as the moral center of the show, Merkerson has become the primary target for a severe budget reduction. Could the financial pressures on Chicago Med be so dire that they are forced to unceremoniously push out the character who grounds the entire hospital drama?
💰 The Financial Reality: Why High-Cost Veterans Get Targeted
The issue isn’t performance; it’s longevity. S. Epatha Merkerson is an “OG” (Original Gangster) of the One Chicago franchise, a veteran whose contract reflects over two decades of successful network television (including her time on Law & Order).
Veteran actors who have signed multiple contract renewals often see their per-episode salary skyrocket well into the six figures—significantly more than newer cast members. While these figures are a reward for their dedication and success, they also make them a liability when networks need to trim hundreds of thousands of dollars per episode.
The Cold Calculus: When budget cuts are mandated from the top, the most effective way to save money quickly is to eliminate the largest salaries. This means that Sharon Goodwin, due to her immense value and corresponding high cost, is ironically the most vulnerable when the network’s financial survival is at stake. She is the biggest domino NBC could choose to topple.
🔪 Art Imitating Life: The Budget Axe Has Already Fallen
This isn’t mere speculation. The other One Chicago shows have already made severe cuts explicitly due to financial constraints:
- Jake Lockett (Sam Carver) and Daniel Kyri (Darren Ritter) were both reportedly let go from Chicago Fire ahead of Season 14. Showrunner Andrea Newman confirmed that these departures were due to the “axe falling across the network,” not creative reasons.
- The entire franchise, including Chicago Med, has already been forced to adopt a new strategy where most series regulars miss 2-4 episodes per season to save on their salary payouts.
If mid-level, popular characters like Carver and Ritter are being outright removed to save cash, the financial justification for forcibly removing a character with Merkerson’s towering salary would be immense.
🚨 The Narrative Setup: How They Could Write Her Out
Since Merkerson is reportedly under contract for the immediate seasons (Season 10/11), a sudden firing would be complicated. However, the writers are clearly setting the stage for her exit:
- Losing the Hospital War: Goodwin’s current battles against the self-serving, profit-driven administration could reach a critical point. She could be forced to resign or be ousted by the board after a major ethical stand, effectively allowing the character to be “kicked out” of her job—a convenient narrative shield for a budget decision.
- Burnout and Betrayal: Having fought ceaselessly against corporate manipulation, Goodwin could simply decide that the hospital environment is no longer ethically viable, choosing to leave rather than compromise her values. This personal choice would mask the financial pressure on the show.
The brutal irony remains: Sharon Goodwin has been saving the hospital budget for a decade, yet her own value might be the very thing that forces her out the door. The question is not if the budget axe will swing at a major Chicago Med star, but whether Sharon Goodwin can survive the unavoidable target on her back
